Trade Deadline - Who will be the movers and shakers on March 5th?

Trade Deadline - Who will be the movers and shakers on March 5th?

Whether you prefer the crew of Dreger, McKenzie, LeBrun, McLennan and Ward on TSN, or Marek, Kypreos, Millard, MacLean and Stellick on Sportsnet one thing we know as hockey fans is on March 5th (next Wednesday) we will all somehow be glued to one of those channels like we do every August and January 31st for football's (soccer to any Northe American readers) Transfer Deadline Day on Sky Sports News.


All thirty teams have until 3pm ET to get deals done. That's 8pm to us in the UK.

As we get closer to the deadline rumours start flying around. Various names get thrown out into somewhat surprising but possibly believable proposals. The obvious names that everyone seems to be shopping around are the big guys on not so good teams such as Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek. The other group of players possibly on the block are those headed towards UFA status in the summer.

Here we are going to look at the names on everyone's lips and what their fate may be in the next 168 hours.

I don't think there's any better place to start than with the goalie on the team that sucks that puts up good numbers year in year out and is always finding himself in these deadline rumours, Ryan Miller.

Miller has posted a record of just fifteen wins in forty starts this season. Despite that he has a .923 SV% giving up 108 goals off of 1411 shots against. I believe, as many do, that Miller deserves better. The only way he can achieve playing behind better players is moving. Few teams have the need for a goalie. Of those that do, the Blues, Caps and Wild could put his services to good use. Miller is in both boats of trade worthy players. He is the best piece on a struggling team and is a UFA this summer, and that UFA tag looming could be the factor in whether teams gamble on him. Will they give up what Buffalo ask for on the chance this guy could hypothetically end up back in Buffalo next season?

If Miller isn't the anwser then there are other options. Carolina's Justin Peters is currently sitting as 3rd choice for the Canes and has been steady in net when called upon posting a .919 SV%. Peters is also a pending UFA but has 6 years on Miller and being 3rd string he will not command the kind of return the Sabres would want for the US Olympic goalie.

One other goalie who may have shot on to a few radars recently may be Kristers Gudlevskis. The Latvian goalie who made 55 saves in the 2-1 defeat to Canada in the Olympics. Gudlevskis currently plays for Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch. He's on an EL contract until 2016 for just over $600k per year. In twenty-two games for the Crunch this season he has a .900 SV% and has won 11 of his 22 starts. Which is a higher winning percentage than Miller and Peters, although Gudlevskis has no NHL experience he could be sought after and relatively easy to prize away from a system led by Ben Bishop.

A big rumour on the future of Marty St Louis is also doing the rounds. Word is he asked for a trade when he was snubbed for Team Canada. Many believe this to be the case but that he has since gone back on that feeling and will most likely be happy to stay put. The name linked to be going the other way is New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan. If this trade does happen I believe it favours Tampa way more than the Rangers.

Thomas Vanek could be suitting up for his 3rd club of the season after next week. The New York Islanders was brought to Long Island in exchange for Matt Moulson and a conditional 1st round pick. On the outset it looked as though Buffalo did one over on the Isles, then Vanek clicked with Tavares and Okposo, then he didn't and it still looks as though Buffalo were the winners of that trade. Possible destinations for Vanek seem to be as wide as Ryan Miller's potential suitors. Strongly suggested, like Miller, that either Minnesota and St Louis could be the Austians new home. Maybe even something on the beach like Anaheim or Los Angeles.

Talking Vanek, Matt Moulson is also on many peoples trade radars. He had a reputation of being good because he played with Tavares (a la Kunitz with Crosby) but he disproved those theories when he was instantly scoring goals in upstate New York. It's thought that nearly half the league are interested in Moulson's scoring ability. He could be very useful in Montreal, Ottawa, LA, or even Pittsburgh.

Other players for teams desperate to add scoring are Mike Cammalleri, David Legwand, Evander Kane and Jordan Eberle.

And as much as goalies and forwards are needed so too are defenders.

Amongst the highly sought after defensemen is the Islanders Andrew MacDonald. At 27, MacDonald plays major minutes averaging over 25 a game. Playing on a team who will be selling at the deadline he has turned down a four year, $16m extension. With his low low salary of $525k he would fit anywhere. Most likely needed in Montreal, Toronto or Boston. 

As a recurring theme another Sabre enters the fray now. Henrik Tallinder, a Buffalo veteran, traded for from New Jersey in the off season to return to the Sabres. He too could be a good bet on not being a Sabre on the 5th at 3:01pm ET. Although his form in New Jersey was quite a drop off from his form in both stints with Buffalo.

Andrei Markov. Habs defenseman Markov is a pending UFA, at the age of 35, and contract negotiations are near to being at a stand still. It was reported he was offered a one-year, $6m deal that he turned down. If he's re-signing he wants to be in Montreal for longer. If Habs GM Marc Bergevin doesn't want the Russian at the Bell Centre for more than a year then the only way to gain on his departure is to trade him now. Markov is a PP quarterback. He has 31 points this season partnering P.K. Subban on the PP blue line. Many teams in and around the playoff picture could use his experience and his ability to help others score goals. Looking at what other teams got for defensemen at last years deadline and the Habs could receive an NHL ready prospect or 1st round pick and a 2nd/3rd round pick.

I am very excited for the deadline. Just like in football I know nothing really happens until late on but every time, whether it's transfer or trade deadline day, I am glued to the coverage.